


The Wrong Gift

by Cerberusia



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adultery, Christmas, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-21
Updated: 2012-12-21
Packaged: 2017-11-21 23:07:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/603084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cerberusia/pseuds/Cerberusia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ron <i>hates</i> shopping for presents.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Wrong Gift

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Čeština available: [Nesprávný dar](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1170698) by [Rapidez](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rapidez/pseuds/Rapidez)



> For the HP Unfaithful Pseudo-Advent Calender Fest! Uses Prompt #1, 'The Wrong Gift' (hence the uninspired title). Ended up somewhat heavier on the Ron/Hermione than I originally meant, which is odd because I don't actually ship that.

Ron really does hate shopping for presents. He never knows what to _get_ people. Not even Hermione - perhaps Hermione least of all, because after twenty years of marriage you've bought your spouse all you can think of that they might want in terms of kitchenware and fluffy socks. And as for all the other stuff, the academic stuff, Ron wouldn't know where to start. For the past couple of years he's just given her a Flourish and Blott's giftcard, which is a bit silly when she earns the money in the house which he uses to buy it, but she insists it's the thought that counts.

Rose and Hugo are easier, because they're still at an age where they outright tell him what they want. The struggle comes with finding _exactly_ what they've asked for - Hugo and his wretched, inexplicable obsession with Muggle toy trains. Ron usually lets Hermione deal with that, going out into the Muggle world and faffing about with Muggle money and all that, but she's just so busy right now with some legislation over the trading of various potion ingredients that the Opposition's trying to push through before Christmas that she barely even sleeps at home. So Ron girds his loins, heads out into the rain and manages to buy what he prays is the right model with a minimum of fuss - he's getting better at this pounds and pence thing, though he still hates 5ps. Putting everything in tens really is more sensible; though that's how centimetres supposedly work as well, and he still hasn't got the hang of those.

He's in Hogsmeade afterwards for a warming and fortifying Butterbeer when he sees it: the headband.

It's in the window of a milliner's shop, fluttering delicately next to a display of much more substantial hats. It's enchanted, as is the fashion right now, to move and sparkle - tastefully, but enough to catch the eye. There's a couple of colour-changing feathers on it, and two small turquoise gems, but what really catches Ron's eye is that it's exactly the same peachy-mauve shade as one of the ribbons which Lavender likes to wear.

She'll _love_ it. He tells the shopgirl it's a Christmas present, and doesn't say for who. Into the bag of presents it goes, neatly wrapped.

He gets in about twenty seconds before Molly and the kids do. He then has approximately ten seconds to suitably hide the presents somewhere the kids won't find them, as they will inevitably try to do - and have succeeded in doing in the past, which makes every year of present-hiding an exercise in creative thinking.

After that, it just sort of - slips his mind. With Hermione and the rest of the family so busy, all the childcare falls to him. He doesn't mind - it's not exactly a hardship to spend time with his kids, if he didn't like it he wouldn't have chosen to become a househuband - but even though they're at an age where they can entertain themselves, Rose and Hugo are both high-energy, curious children with a tendency to get into things when you aren't watching them. He doesn't get to see Lavender once. On the bright side, he's so tired at night that he sleeps like a baby.

So it's something of a shock when Rose pulls out the green-wrapped box at the end of the present-opening and asks, loudly, who it's for.

"Looks interesting," says Hermione, propped up in her armchair and still clutching her empty coffee mug like a lifeline. The past couple of weeks have been rough on her, and she's could clearly have done with a few more hours sleep.

"It-" Shit, shit, shit. "It's for you," he improvises. Hermione perks up a little.

"Another one? Ooh, I'm definitely interested. I know the Flourish and Blott's giftcard is tried and tested, but a little inspiration every once in a while..." she trails off, examining the wrapping. Ron tries not to squirm. "Don't recognise the paper," she says, then begins to open it - carefully, with the proper incantation for unsealing magical wrapping paper.

When she at last opens the box itself, for a long moment her face is inscrutable. Ron starts cursing the fact that his wife is intelligent enough to possibly put it together just from this. Shit, shit, shit.

"It's the same colour as my Yule Ball dress," she says at last. Ron blinks.

"Well, yes. Yes it is." She is, as always, entirely right. She's also smiling, and Ron pratically sags in relief. "I saw it in the window and thought..." He's unwilling to lie and say _of you_ , so he trails off deliberately. Hermione looks touched.

"Do you know," she says, "I think this is the most romantic thing you've done for me in years." She leans over to kiss his cheek. "I'll be wearing this to the next party or function I attend, you can be certain."

Ron lets himself smile stupidly. Crisis averted - and spectacularly turned to his advantage!

But of course, as he realises with dismay - now he has to find another present for Lavender.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic] The Wrong Gift](https://archiveofourown.org/works/908843) by [Cerberusia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cerberusia/pseuds/Cerberusia), [sisi_rambles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sisi_rambles/pseuds/sisi_rambles)




End file.
